When Jesus turned the water into wine, was this wine fermented or unfermented wine?
From historical and cultural context, it is deemed that this wine was fermented, but from spiritual context and implications of Christ’s miracle, the wine must have been unfermented.
What is the spiritual context and significance of the miracle?
- And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
- Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
Marry turned to Jesus with the need. “They have no wine”. Jesus’ answer was “mine hour is not yet come”. About what hour is Jesus referring to? Most people think, that Jesus was referring to the beginning of His ministry, since that was His first miracle. But this is makes no sense, because right after this He did perform the miracle. He was referring to some other hour, which the wine signified to. Let’s have a look at the places where Jesus said “my hour is not yet come”.
- Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.
Context: During the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus teaches in the temple, and the authorities seek to arrest Him. In John 5:16, 18 already wanted to kill Jesus. The context of John 7 is how Jesus is dogging Jews because they were seeking to kill him (see John 7:1, 19). However, the hour of his crucifixion has not yet come.
- These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.
Context: Jesus is teaching in the temple, and despite the growing hostility towards Him, no one arrests Him because the appointed hour for His sacrificial death has not yet come.
- And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
Context: After His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus declares that the time has come for Him to be glorified. This glorification refers to His impending death on the cross, through which He will fulfill His redemptive mission - the hour is come.
- Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
Context: Jesus expresses the anguish of His soul as He contemplates His imminent suffering and death.
- And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
Context: Jesus instructs His disciples to prepare for the Passover, indicating that the time for His suffering and death is near.
- Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
Context: This is the introduction to the Last Supper. Jesus is fully aware that the time has come for Him to leave this world through His death on the cross and return to the Father - his hour was come.
- And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
Context: This refers to the time for the Last Supper, where Jesus shares the Passover meal with His disciples, implicating His death and sacrifice - the hour was come.
- These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
Context: Jesus acknowledges that the hour of His crucifixion has arrived and prays for the Father to glorify Him through His death, which will, in turn, glorify the Father by accomplishing the work of salvation - the hour is come.
- And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Context: In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prays to the Father, expressing His anguish and desire for the impending suffering to be averted, yet submitting to God’s will - the hour is come.
- Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Context: In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus tells His disciples that the hour of His betrayal and arrest has arrived, indicating his crucifixion.
There are 10 verses where Jesus is indicating the hour of his crucifixion. What makes us think that John 2:4 is an exception to that?
Context of Jesus' response to Marry
When Jesus said to Marry, “my hour is not yet come”, He was referring to the hour of His crucifixion.
The miracle of turning water to wine serves the higher purpose than just supplying the lack of a wine at the wedding feast. It served as a object lesson that Jesus is the one who will supply the lack of righteous blood to be shed of a sinful world. He chose the wine as a symbol for His own blood.
Pattern matching the wine
- Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
The cup He shared with His disciples was the wine.
- Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
What kind of wine was Christ’s chosen object for His blood? Fermented or unfermented? Here Jesus says: “…until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God”. He had chosen a new wine to represent His blood.
- But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
Unfermented wine as a proper symbol
Unfermented wine symbolized the purity of Jesus’ blood - His holy life
- Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.
A new wine is an unfermented wine. In such wine there is a blessing. Contrary to unfermented, in the fermented wine there is a curse.
- Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
- Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
- At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Therefore, the unfermented wine is not a fit symbol for the blood of Jesus. The object lesson of His miracle at the wedding, was provision of His own pure righteous blood for our salvation. No, wonder the comment was: “but thou hast kept the good wine until now” (John 2:10). Jesus’ blood was represented by a good wine - the wine which has a blessing in it - the new wine - unfermented wine.
Did Jesus ever drink alcohol?
Jesus’ abstention from the alcohol is never mentioned in the Gospels in any explicit form, except on the cross when He was offered to drink vinegar mingled with gall.
- They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
The reason why He did not drink it, because He wanted to have a clear mind in this critical hour. Although His physical pain would be numbed, also His mind would be numbed. That was not an option for Him in this moment of temptation. But if in any hour, or moment in His entire life, Jesus did not have a clear mind, He would run at risk of disobeying the Father’s law, and therefore fail at providing the righteous life - remember, Jesus’ pure life was represented by a unfermented wine.
In the Old Testament, God gave instruction for Nazirites not to drink strong drinks.
- He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.
The reason for this instruction was due to their sanctification. Nazarite sanctification level was no match with Jesus’ sanctification level. If Jesus was pure, then He must have not drank the alcohol. Therefore, I believe that it is unreasonable to think He was offering others fermented wine, while preaching the sanctification. All that Jesus ever server and offered to mankind was a blessing.